


A Distraction

by Radium_225



Category: Hades (Video Game 2018)
Genre: Allusions to infidelity, Caught in the Act, Codependency, Drama, Dysfunctional Relationships, Loneliness, M/M, Making Out, Making Out While Talking About Feelings, Not Actively Problematic but Kind of Weird and Unfortunate, Orpheus has Feelings, Orpheus has Poor Boundaries Regarding Intimacy, Orpheus has Self Esteem Problems, Terrible Soap Opera Melodrama, cringe comedy, talking about feelings
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-11-12
Updated: 2020-11-12
Packaged: 2021-03-09 17:54:58
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,568
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27530362
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Radium_225/pseuds/Radium_225
Summary: “Don’t speak of this in the house.Don’t apologize. Heaven forbid, don’tsingabout this! Please, Orpheus. Just… don’t do anything stupid.”(Zagreus has revelations about the true nature of his feelings for Hypnos while making out with Orpheus next to the former’s comatose body.)
Relationships: Hypnos/Zagreus (Hades Video Game), Orpheus/Eurydice (Hades Video Game), Orpheus/Zagreus (Hades Video Game)
Comments: 9
Kudos: 59





	A Distraction

**Author's Note:**

> -Dedicated to that weird guy at the anime con who got a little too close while we spilled feelings together!  
> -This is my first published fic ever! I’ve been throwing around drafts for a few months, always getting stalled in the editing stage. But I finally pushed through to the finish line! Imo, it’s very rough, but there are parts of it that I’ve grown quite fond of.  
> -Why is Hypnos in a coma? Sorry, I know this is awkward framing! Originally, this was a small scene in a much longer Hypnos/Zagreus and Dionysus/Hypnos story, but I got derailed by my thirst for Orpheus content. I might go back to the overarching narrative at some point!  
> -I hadn’t finished the Orpheus/Eurydice questline when I began writing this, so I wasn’t sure if they were going to end up together again. For the sake of this fic’s universe, they’re starting over with an open relationship and are trying to take things slower than they did in life. They got married when they were still very young and very stupid, but now they have all the time in the world to figure themselves out. There were and still are some problems, because WOW Orpheus kind of has some codependency issues going on, but they still love each other a whole lot!  
> -I use ‘god’ instead of ‘darkness’ or other canonical swear words because anything I write with them sounds too doofy and awkward to publish.

Hypnos is safe now, but the curse still lingers, with no sign of letting up. If anything, it seems to be getting _worse._ Hypnos verged on coherency a couple of times near the beginning of his return, but now, he’s mostly just been… out of it. Completely done under by his own sedative. Hades and Nyx and Achilles and _everyone_ have been discussing plans of action, but no actual progress ever seems to get made. Zagreus doesn’t understand any of it. He feels completely out of the loop; utterly useless. It was bad enough that he didn’t get to play any role in the smaller god’s actual rescue, but now he has to go on with his life pretending things are normal now that Hypnos is back at the house. Back at the house, and comatose from his own painkillers because apparently being awake is too painful for him to withstand. 

So he tries to keep moving. He helps out with minor chores around the house. He runs errands. Anything to make life easier for the people who are actually capable of helping.

He does have one job that’s actually important, but it’s quite somber. It never actually gets him feeling any better. No, it’s actually quite vile. Hypnos, obviously, is incapable of bathing himself in his current state, so Zagreus does it for him. Really, it’s the kind of job that should be done by a blood relative, and indeed, it was originally his brother’s responsibility. But Thanatos came to him one night, haggard and practically snarling. Stared him directly in the eyes in a manner that felt like an unspoken threat.

“He doesn’t want me touching him. I need you to take care of it.” he’d said.

Zagreus had questioned him. How could he even tell? Hypnos wasn’t _speaking_.

“Zagreus, I don’t have time for this! I need you to trust me. I can see it in his face! He’s terrified! I know what people look like when they’re afraid of dying! Are you going to help, or do I need to ask Achilles? ”

So Zagreus agreed. God knows Thanatos is busy, and he can’t imagine what it must be like coping with this emotionally. Thanatos is despised by mortals, and he accepts it, but to get the same reaction from his own brother…

So he’s not fond of it, but it has to get done. He dissociates, and all of these morbid trips to Hypnos’s room start to blend together in his memories. He doesn’t know how many times it’s been by now, but it has to be numbering in the dozens.

But one night, as he approaches the entrance, something is different. He hears music. Muffled, faint, and with a melody that’s difficult to identify, but it’s unmistakably Orpheus and his lyre. A private concert for the sleeping Hypnos? Curious, he nudges the door open slowly and silently.

The ghoulish musician sits at the foot of the bed, among strewn pillows, quilts, and a sleeping Hypnos. He’s too absorbed in his playing to notice the intrusion. Zagreus listens, reverent. It isn’t a polished performance. He’ll play a few bars, stop suddenly, then go back and repeat the same sequence over again. His voice is quiet, but there’s as much confidence on his face as when he’s performing for the entire house. Sometimes, he skips words entirely, bobbing his head as a sort of placeholder to keep the meter steady. Other times, he mouths words silently, the ghost of a partially formed lyric on his lips.

Is he… composing? Do these things not just emerge from him fully formed the moment inspiration strikes? Not to disrespect the labor of his craft, but Zagreus has certainly never seen him perform anything that isn’t already perfectly sanded to a fine luster.

Zagreus stands and watches in silence for a good while. Even if the song isn’t complete, Orpheus himself is something special. He moves with a sense of purpose, brow knit with concentration, coaxing out melodies with those long, talon-like fingers. He’s graceful. Almost beautiful. Lost in his own world.

Of course, this serenity shatters the moment Zagreus clears his throat in an attempt to gently signal his presence. Orpheus sucks in air so sharply that it sounds like he’s being strangled and loses grip on the lyre, which threatens to topple over onto the poor, comatose Hypnos. Now frantic, he snatches the wayward instrument back with both hands, and pulls it closer so that it’s right against his stomach. He bends his torso over it. Wraps his gawky limbs around it, tightly. As if it might attempt such an action again without his restraint. 

“I am sorry that you had to hear that, my friend.” he says, a little breathlessly due to his awkward position.

“Sorry? You’re _sorry_ for that? Mate, I could watch you all day. Just wanted to let you know you had an audience... I felt a bit creepy standing here without you realizing.” Zagreus says, but his compliments only seem to incense Orpheus further. He waves one of those elegant, taloned hands in a disgusted gesture.

“Oh you are very kind, my friend, but you need not flatter me. It’s grotesque, isn’t it? Creation is magnificent for those actually involved in its processes... but from a bystander’s perspective? It’s really quite ugly.” Orpheus pauses before adding an afterthought. “A bit like actual birth, really. I try to do it out of earshot so that no one actually has to listen to me.” He gives a small, tight smile.

“Mate… come on now… You’re getting a little hyperbolic. And what about Hypnos, hmm? He’s within earshot! Have you been coming in here specifically to play for him?

Orpheus flinches as if struck. His smile has vanished, and there’s a guilty shift to his eyes.

“Ah! Forgive me, my friend. I did not intend to disturb his rest with my cacophonous deliberations. I... merely felt sorry for him. Um. If I may be so bold as to defend myself...”

“Orpheus, you’re being silly. You don’t need to-”

“It’s a terrible thing, isn’t it? To be alone?” He asks suddenly, voice loud and profound. 

Okay, sure. I guess this is the kind of conversation we’re having now! 

But Orpheus remains oblivious to his discomfort and continues.

“Nothing but the echo of your own thoughts as company. The same memories and tormenting cries over and over and over. If I were to be honest, well. I would sooner face the brazen bull.”

Oh. He’s not talking about Hypnos anymore, is he. Orpheus’s hands shake, as they are prone to do, and he soon thrusts them into the silks of his robe to keep them occupied. 

“Oh. Fuck. Orpheus...” Zagreus stumbles. It hits him like a suckerpunch. Orpheus has _moods_ , and is prone to complaining about deep emotional pains at the drop of a hat, but this feels a little… darker, than his usual outbursts. He’s never mentioned his time in solitary confinement before. Or even vaguely referenced it, as he’s doing now. Thoughts of Hades hang over the conversation like a dark cloud as Zagreus summons the words to speak. “Orpheus, god. I don’t think I’ve ever really apologized properly for that. For my father… imprisoning you. That was a _wretched_ thing to do to a human being.”

“It’s alright, friend. You yourself have been nothing but kind to me… I am indebted to you, truly! I just… I fear my experiences may have wounded me beyond the point of repair. I may have grown a bit mad.”

Orpheus gives a small, self-conscious smile. Like he’s making a joke.

Zagreus really looks at him now. The sunken eyes… the hands that seem to tremble when they handle anything besides a lyre… the sallow, greyish hue of his skin, closer to one of Zagreus’s own chthonic brethren than to an actual, mortal human being. He’s been free for years, yet, still wears the scars of his torment.

Zagreus turns back to Hypnos and the bruising around his face and the newly visible indentations near his collarbones. Things that have also lasted far, far too long.

“Orpheus… It’s fine if you need company. I’m grateful, actually… Everyone in the house is busy, and no one can watch over him all the time, but. Well. He gets lonely. Rather, he did get lonely. When he was awake, I mean.” Zagreus hesitates for a moment. He’s been trying to avoid talking about this, but honestly. Soppy, bleeding-heart Orpheus just dropped _that_ on him out of the blue, so for one thing, he kind of owes it to him, and for another, he wouldn’t be the worst person in the world to vent to. He shares his most intimate woes without even the slightest hint of shame. He wouldn’t judge. Surely!

“I’m a complete imbecile, you know? I’m only realizing it now. The way he used to needle everyone… Than and Meg especially. That was just a ploy to get attention, wasn’t it? He had so little time awake to spend with anyone, and we were always running off without him…” 

Orpheus listens solemnly, eyes rapt and full of focus. 

“So, um. I think he’d really appreciate you playing for him. I think he _does_ appreciate you playing for him.” Zagreus continues.

“It must be hard on you. It’s terrible. It is… terrible to be helpless when the one you love is suffering.” 

Oh, fuck. Hold on. Love? He’s not even going to ask where Orpheus picked up _that_ idea. Ever since the incident with Dionysus, it’s become a game among the household shades. They make up all sorts of bizarre gossip, just to see if Orpheus believes it. 

But… well. He lets it be. It’s not as ridiculous as most of what they come up with. It doesn’t feel entirely wrong. Zagreus, in a sense, does love Hypnos.

“Ah… I mean I try not to think about it too hard. I have to keep moving right? I have to keep… doing _something_ . Sitting around moping about it doesn’t… _do_ anything.” It’s a bit cruel isn’t it? Saying that to someone as devoted to moping as Orpheus. And despite his attempted nonchalance, he feels the wedge that he’s desperately been trying to ignore slip deeper into his heart. 

“He... God. He really looks like a corpse though, doesn’t he?” Zagreus finally admits, and the words hit him like a hammer the moment they leave his mouth.

“Oh, Zagreus…”

“It’s hard. It’s hard to believe that he’s still going to wake up.”

At this point, Orpheus embraces him, resting his head upon the other’s shoulder. Though the musician has half a foot of height on him, at least, his poor posture evens them out. The silks falling from his arms swaddle Zagreus like a child. 

Zagreus has never been much for physical displays of affection, so this is all a bit awkward for him. He’s not sure how to reciprocate. He gives a few tentative pats to the thinner man’s back. Like anything harder might shatter him.

God, he’s close. That wild mess of hair brushes his nose, and he smells ash and flowers. The former is a scent he’s well accustomed to. It lingers in the halls, emanating, to a greater or lesser extent, from every shade. But the flowers are a rarity. They’re not the dour, heavy kind one sees at funerals. They’re pleasant, light and airy.

Eurydice’s influence, perhaps? Some of her perfume? They’ve started dating again. Or, well. Doing _something_ again. Honestly, the way he talks about her makes it very difficult to tell. 

Zagreus is almost tempted to compliment the scent, whatever it is, but he doesn’t want to make this weird. Well… weirder.

“You have to trust, Zagreus... You’re so much stronger than I am! You can’t make my mistake.”

“I’m trying... God, am I trying!”

“You love him, don’t you? Focus on that as you look forward. Your future together is luminous.”

“Love. God. I can’t think about that. I can’t _think_ about that right now! I can’t think about loving him!”

“You must! Without it, the soul withers.”

“Every time I have to _bathe_ him or comb his hair and he’s just. Laying there. Like a doll. Like an actual fucking corpse! It feels like I’m violating him!”

“Oh no… Oh Zagreus…”

There’s a slight wetness where eyelashes tickle his shoulder. Orpheus presses against him more tightly, and rubs soothing circles across his back. Zagreus holds him tighter in turn, all pretense abandoned. Fuck it. Nobody’s judging him right now. He’s allowed to act emotional. He’s allowed to act embarrassing! 

God, Orpheus has a lot of hair. Zagreus has never exactly made an effort to appreciate the man from behind, and there’s a hell of a lot more of it than he’s expecting. It reaches well past his haunches, spilling out all sumptuous onto the bed around it. Zagreus can’t help smashing a few locks between his own arms and the other’s back. Orpheus makes no complaints, but he doesn’t want to _hurt_ the poor man, so he loosens his grasp. He tries brushing the interfering strands aside, but it’s a futile effort. There’s just too much hair in that unruly mane of his. He settles for idly combing his fingers through it.

Zagreus’s little outburst leaves him exhausted, and he spaces out. Nothing but the pressure of another body against his chest and shoulder, the texture on his fingertips, and the feather-light ghostings of a hand against his back. But eventually, his mind wanders to the past.

“I made a lot of mistakes. Said a lot of careless things to him. _Didn’t_ say even more things to him. I don’t want it to end like this.” He admits.

Orpheus shifts himself slightly backwards so he can look Zagreus directly in the eyes. “You mustn't think about that. You can’t change any of it.” Orpheus says softly, voice clear and melodic, even when he’s practically whispering.

It’s strange... It’s strange having all these feelings out in the open. He’s a little lightheaded and a little empty. The air around him is overwhelming and vast, and the only things keeping him from dissolving into oblivion are the sensations from the body pressed against his own.

One of the hands on his back circles around the outside of his waist and settles on his chest, where it rubs tender strokes on his exposed breast. The fingers are so delicate, they could be those of a phantom, but there’s the occasional twinge of a sharp nail and _oh god_ , that’s not platonic, is it? 

Fuck. He can’t even be _mad_ at poor, broken Orpheus. There weren’t many places for him to find comfort once his muse was taken from him, and even now, with her back in his life, he struggles. Zagreus has seen signs of the man’s attraction to him. Nothing that could even be called flirting, but there were flustered expressions and shy smiles, and he always did seem proud to be the first to hear of Zagreus’s exploits. 

They should probably talk about this. He needs a way to calm himself that doesn’t involve bedding someone, but god. Zagreus is struggling too. He gives into impulse, and tugs on Orpheus’s hair with more force, satisfied with the resistance it gives him. So much more durable than the bony shoulders below it. Unfathomably thick. A little course, but not rough. Good, healthy hair; the only part of Orpheus the word could reasonably apply to.

Eurydice said he used to have curls but it’s hard to picture. A coiffed, healthy, smiling Orpheus, heavier than a piece of parchment paper, supple flesh spanning his cheekbones. Curls individually sculpted and hanging close to his skull, heavy with oils and perfumes. 

Zagreus looks at the ghoulish Orpheus in front of him. Slight frame completely overpowered by his wild mane. It wouldn’t suit him. It just wouldn’t suit him.

(He’s always had a preference for hair that’s a bit unruly. Like it could withstand his manhandling. Tugging around someone’s head by it, bringing them in for a kiss. Pulling them down _lower_ . Honestly, Orpheus is a bit overboard compared to what he usually pictures. It doesn’t have to be _this_ much hair. And curls would be fine, if they were natural. Not the manicured, artificial kind that seems to be in-fashion for mortals…)

While his frail mind wanders, Orpheus’s touch moves downwards. Still mild and reverent, it dips beneath the hem of his tunic, draws a line through the hair under his navel, and clasps around his hip.

Ah… He doesn’t _think_ he’s aroused, but his body is responding. He’s craving _warmth_ . Another body pressed bare against his own. None of those goddamn layered silks that disguise even the barest trace of a human figure. He’s always _hiding away_ in them, like a particularly opulent, soft-shelled oyster. Zagreus huffs.

Using both hands, he brusquely pries away the brooches adorning the musician’s arms, freeing fabric to fall and pool about his waist.

Orpheus lets out a quiet “Oh!”, and freezes. His gaze is directed downwards, and his expression is impossible to make out. Too much? He’s never seen Orpheus reveal so much as an ankle… Zagreus withdraws, pulling the other’s narrow hands off of his body and holding them firmly.

“You alright, mate? We can stop if you need to.” 

“Oh… I’m fine, my friend! It’s been a long time! Just a very, very long time!” He says, a tad manic. He laughs, as if to expel his anxieties through breath.

“We should stop...”

“No!” Orpheus cuts in sharply. “Just… a bit slower, maybe. Or faster. Might be better for you. Get it all over with at once.” He laughs again, and pries his hands free in order to grip Zagreus by the wrists. Dear lord there is a lot of _force_ in those bony little things.

Zagreus sits there, dumbfounded, and observes the body in front of him with eyes alone. It’s… nice? Apparently, despite Orpheus having the face of a goddamn skeleton, there’s flesh to spare beneath the collar. Breasts milk pale with their nipples ripe and pink. Just barely verging into convex, swelling above a ribcage that isn’t quite gaunt, a bit of softness cushioning each hollow. Below that, a smooth stomach, far from ample but at least adequate, flanked by obliques with the faintest bit of definition. A fairly average torso, at least for a mortal, but… god. Flesh. _Life_. When all he can think about is sex and death!

Zagreus hums a note of approval and Orpheus averts his gaze, looking sheepish. Zagreus speaks before he can stop himself. 

“Mate, you don’t have anything to be embarrassed about. Eurydice’s been treating you damn well…” 

God. Fuck. Because this needed to be even _more_ awkward. And evidently, this was precisely the wrong thing to say to the poor man, because Orpheus is hunching in on himself and shuddering and oh god, it looks like he’s about to start _crying_ again. 

“Too well, Zagreus… She treats me too well.” Orpheus mutters.

Zagreus pulls him back into a hug to help steady him.

“She could do better.” Orpheus adds hesitantly.

“She loves you, mate. She’s not the type to put up with someone.”

“She thinks I’m exhausting.” He says, more decisively.

 _Ouch_. It’s pretty hard to argue with that one. Nothing particularly reassuring comes to mind. Zagreus flounders,and Orpheus is ignoring him anyway.

“I can’t help thinking. It’d be so _easy._ A quick boat-ride over to Elysium, and she’d have her pick of heroes to elope with.“

Okay, so she’s not actually allowed to do that. The underworld has rules, and it would completely defeat the point of having separated levels of hell if anyone could just-

“You’ve been there Zagreus, haven’t you? They’re tall, aren’t they? Tan? Fit? Not the type to fuck up simple sets of instructions?”

“Orpheus! Again? What’s all this doubt… You’ve learned your lesson! She _loves_ you, and-”

“I’m weak, Zagreus! I’m a mortal man! I don’t understand why, but we’re _built_ like this.” Orpheus says, volume rising. “It’s hard to believe in anything that’s not in front of you!” he practically wails.

Zagreus pulls him in. Closer and closer and closer until their bodies threaten to melt into one another. Orpheus takes a long, shaky breath, and regains an ounce of composure.

“T-thank you. Thank you, Zagreus. I… I admire you. I know that I could never hope to approach the strength and raw determination of a god, but I still - I can’t help but - I find myself wishing. When you first told me about your encounter with Eurydice, I…” He laughs, hollow and devoid of humor. “I mean, who could ever blame her?”

Oh, this isn’t going _anywhere_ productive. Zagreus, running on pure instinct, tangles a hand into the taller man’s crown of hair, pulls him forward, and kisses him. There’s no love in the gesture. There’s not really even lust. Just raw, human comfort and a desire for Orpheus to please, _please_ stop talking.

They linger, lips mashed together, tongues mingling, and Orpheus letting out timid little moans that are so much nicer than the nonsense he was just spewing. When Zagreus finally surfaces to catch his breath, Orpheus bridges the gap greedily and begins the kiss anew, surging forward with enough force to knock the other flat against the mattress. He’s needy and frantic and absolutely desperate. Before Zagreus can really process what’s happening, there’s a hand snaking beneath his tunic to work his cock. Still mostly flaccid, but it doesn’t take much to change that under the ministrations of those long, practiced fingers, so much more graceful than his own.

God, Orpheus has nice hands. Zagreus pulls the hem of his tunic upwards to get a better view of them. All bones and tendons and _god_ , this is a bit of a fixation for him, isn’t it?

An unbidden memory manifests itself in his mind. Hypnos, back at his post. Dawdling, toying with the quill in his hands. Twirling it. Passing it from finger to finger.

Oh god. Hypnos is two feet away from him!

_Oh god. Hypnos is two feet away from him!_

As though waiting for the single worst moment possible, a voice interjects, hoarse, weak, but still full of mirth.

“Please don’t have sex on my bed.”

Zagreus pushes Orpheus off of himself with enough force to send him limply rolling off the side of the bed and smacking against the tile floor. He makes a strangled cry, and then is silent.

“I mean, at least not while I’m on it.”

“Hypnos! Oh my god. _You’re alive!_ You… You _imp_ ! You _would_ choose now of all times to finally wake up!

“Oh, don’t worry. I was conscious for most of that.”

Zagreus is grinning like an absolute imbecile. So many emotions are swimming through his head that he can’t decide which to settle on. Hypnos is _alive_ . Hypnos is _awake_ . Hypnos is _joking_ , even if he can barely manage to choke the words out of his tired throat. 

“Hypnos! God. Is there anything you need? Water?” He sounds pretty parched… “If you’re in pain, I’ve got some spare nectar hidden in my room…”

“No no! I might not look like it, but I’m pretty powerful you know? As far as analgesics go, my own magic’s superior to anything you dig up in the dungeon... “

Zagreus frowns.

“You’re sure? You still look a little... uh. Under the weather.” 

“Oh! Wow! That’s a really clever observation! That’s because I’m not _using it_ right now, Zagreus.” He snaps, but his voice soon takes on a somber edge. “It’s, um. It’s not easy, staying like this, but I can’t inebriate myself any further. I remembered something about the curse.”

“Yes! Of course!”

“Black vinegar, alright? Can you remember that? Strange liquid. Not from anywhere I’m familiar with. When I was still in captivity, they used it to reduce the curse’s potency. They had to keep me lucid enough for questioning, after all!”

Zagreus frown deepens. He’s trying very hard not to think about any of the implications behind that statement.

“ _Clearly_ , it didn’t actually cure me, but it might give you a lead to go on? Since you guys are taking such a long time to figure this out... I can’t say I dabble in curses myself, but Nyx…” Hypnos continues. 

“Yes! Nyx! Nyx will know! I’ll go get her right now. God, we’ll get you feeling better as soon as-”

“Child? Child, is everything alright? It’s late, and you’ve been shouting… I heard my name!”

Oh. Right. Nyx’s senses are immaculate. Nothing in the house escapes her notice. He turns to see her stepping into the room, hair down, makeup half-off, looking less composed than he’s ever seen her. She points a mildly concerned glance downward, where a half-naked Orpheus still lays frozen on the ground, before closing her eyes, rubbing her temples, and returning her attention to Hypnos and Zagreus. Her expression is stoic, but sweat beads on her forehead.

“Hi mom!”

“Nyx! They used black vinegar to weaken the curse! Does that mean anything to you?”

It takes her a beat to process what she’s being told. She opens her mouth and closes it before actually beginning to speak.

“No. No, I admit, it does not... I will look it up.” She takes Hypnos’s hand into her own, and presses his petite head to her breast, planting a kiss in the center of his soft curls. “Fear not, child. I will take care of this. Your suffering will not last much longer.”

She looks… unsettled. But before Zagreus can get a good look at her, she’s already making her exit, with long, brisk strides lacking her usual grace. She pauses briefly to give Orpheus a gentle prod with her foot.

“Mortal, show respect. You’re indecent.”

And then she’s gone. Despite her reassurance, Hypnos’s mood seems to have soured. He sinks into the overstuffed pillow, throws his head backwards and sighs.

“Ugh. Sorry. For not thinking of this any sooner, I mean. My head has been… all over the place. It’s hard to think clearly when your blood feels like it’s full of tiny little _needles_ -”

“It’s alright! Um. I mean. We’re just happy to have a lead to go on. You shouldn’t have to be the one worrying about this. And if it’s too painful to stay like this, you should go back to sleep. I mean, god. I’m so glad that I’m actually getting to talk to you again, but-”

“No… I’m okay. I can stay for a bit. It’s-” Hypnos is interrupted by a dreadful, wheezing laugh. “It’s like Orpheus was saying. It’s hard. Going so long without hearing anyone’s voice… without hearing _my own_ voice. But, well. Speaking of _Orpheus_. You want to get all that worked out, or what?” Hypnos grins sardonically.

“Um?” Surely there are more _important_ matters to attend to now that Hypnos is fighting off excruciating pain in order to remain awake. “Right now? Mate, I think he can wait until you’re healthy again…”

“Really? I don’t think he’s doing so hot! I haven’t heard him say anything in a while. Are you sure you didn’t kill him?” There’s a glint in his eye. Hypnos has always adored spectating drama. Even if he is half-incapacitated, it might give him _something_ to take his mind off the pain?

Zagreus groans. He wasn’t exactly hoping to have an audience for this.

“Orpheus? Orpheus, are you dead?”

He gets a miserable moan in response.

Orpheus is still frozen on the floor, acting as a prey animal hoping to appear invisible. His lips are clamped shut in a long, straight line, but his brows betray his anxiety. He’s still in disarray, with his chiton unpeeled to his belt, and his makeup all sullied. 

Zagreus takes a tentative finger to his own lips, and it comes away carrying a familiar black color. Oh fuck. Fuck, fuck, _fuck_ . _Nyx_ saw him like this.

Hypnos stifles laughter.

Deep breaths. One thing at a time. He can suffer through this particular realization later.

“Orpheus.” Zagreus says, again.

“I’m sorry, friend. That was unforgivable.”

“Orpheus.” Zagreus says, only a little exasperated.

“I completely misinterpreted you… Stomped upon your boundaries… Horrified poor, ailing Hypnos… I cannot ask for forgiveness. A transgression so vile requires punishment. I would only ask that you grant me the mercy of getting it over with quickly.”

Really? He’s doing this right now?

“Well! You heard the man! You’d best get on that, _friend_!” Hypnos says, emulating the man’s wavering inflection.

Zagreus sighs as he hefts his body off of the bed. Orpheus closes his eyes and draws his face all tight and wrinkled, as if he’s anticipating a blow.

“Orpheus, I’m not going to hit you.”

 _That_ gets him moving again! He curls in on himself, digs nails into flesh, and _wails_.

“No… no. No, please, Zagreus. Please please please, god, _not_ _again_!”

“Orpheus!” Zagreus roars. “I’m not going to lock you up! I’m not going to hit you or 

torture you. I’m not going to do _anything_ to you! “

“Oh… Oh prince…”

“Just. Don’t speak of this in the house. _Don’t apologize._ Heaven forbid, don’t _sing_ about this! Please, Orpheus. Just… don’t do anything stupid!” The form in front of him is trembling and pitiful and the sight of it softens his voice. “I’m not going to let my father do anything else to hurt you.”

“Oh… Oh…” Orpheus, still shaking, unfurls his long, delicate limbs into a kneel. His brooches are still scattered across the bedsheets, but he’s able to hold his robe up over his chest with his hands in a manner that sort of resembles modesty.

“You need to go discuss this with Eurydice.”

Orpheus does not respond or make any movements.

“You need to go _now_ , while I help with Hypnos’s recovery.”

“It’s late, prince. I’d terribly hate to disturb her.”

“Orpheus, _I’m_ not mad at you. I played just as much a part in that as you did. Emotions got out of control. We made a stupid decision. It happens.” Orpheus chews on his lip and averts his eyes. “But mate… You were telling me a lot of stuff about her that was frankly, _pretty concerning_ , and I don’t think I can be the one to help you with that. And, uh. I’m not really sure what you have going on with her at the moment, but she should probably know that you’ve been making out with-”

“Trying to sleep with.” Hypnos chirps, helpfully.

“Yes, _thank you, Hypnos_ , trying to sleep with other people.”

“Yes. Er. I suppose she should. Your advice is as reasonable as ever, my friend.” 

Orpheus continues to remain seated. Hypnos cuts in, sensing that Zagreus is at his limit.

“Why don’t you tell her about how you woke me up with that new song of yours? That’s worthy of being disturbed in the middle of the night for, isn’t it? It’s practically an epic worthy of being recorded in song in and of itself!”

“Ah. Gentle Hypnos. You are… a pleasure. It is a pleasure to have you here with us in the house. I… sincerely hope that you are not merely exaggerating when you claim that my discordant murmurings may have contributed to your recovery.” Orpheus says, voice grim. He stares at the ground.

Oh god. Is he jealous? Of Zagreus? Or of Hypnos?

“I will… see myself out. I don’t want to… distract you from your reunion.” Orpheus says, as if he hasn’t been doing that for the past ten minutes. He rises, _finally,_ and begins to trudge towards the door.

“Probably get some sleep before you tell her all that, okay? You need it!” Hypnos says wryly. Orpheus startles, but his expression soon softens, and he actually cracks a _smile_ , as strained as it may be.

“Yes… Yes, I believe I do.”

He makes his exit, and Zagreus and Hypnos sit for a time in silence. The emotional turmoil has left Zagreus feeling like a puddle of slime, and Hypnos, despite his incredible show of vigor, is not doing great either.

“So. Hell of a thing to wake up to!” Hypnos finally says.

Zagreus puts his head in his hands and groans. 

“I’m sorry… Orpheus is a lot.”

There are other things at the tip of his tongue. Apologies. Questions about when exactly during that terrible feelings-fest Hypnos woke up, and whether he’d overheard all the things Zagreus had said about him. How he felt about anything that he may or may not have overheard. Defensive clarifications about how he’s not actually attracted to Orpheus. More defensive clarifications about how he does actually have some appealing features in the right light, because god, it’s not like he’d fuck anyone who came to him crying. Even more about how he’s really, REALLY not in a great place right now, if that wasn’t obvious. Not to detract from the torture Hypnos must be going through… He really did handle that spectacularly… If he were in Zagreus’s shoes,  _ he _ would probably not have almost fucked Orpheus.

He’s too much of a coward to say any of it. Hypnos studies him. He’s fallen back onto his nest of pillows, too drained to say much of anything. 

Before long, both of them drift into sleep

**Author's Note:**

> -Thank you so much for reading! Any opinions, including critique, are appreciated!  
> -Also, I am SO sorry about that passage describing Orpheus’s torso, lmao. It made me feel like a serial killer! I find average and less conventionally attractive bodies very beautiful and I was really struggling to convey that with text.  
> -I’m primarily a painter, and am a very visual thinker. It is absolutely INFURIATING to not be able to convey every single facial expression everyone’s having at all times.  
> -ALSO Also, I apologize if Orpheus’s dialogue needs work. He’s so hard for me to capture… snappy in cadence, but somehow evasive at the same time, and tending towards poetic language that’s well beyond my abilities as a novice writer.


End file.
